The BSc degree programme in Energy aims to provide you with the scientific and technical expertise to address the largest issues of the 21st century: energy sustainability, energy control and climate change. Energy requirements will double, perhaps even quadruple, by the end of the 21st century. Ireland is one of the most dependent countries in the world on imported energy, importing more than 85% of its fuel needs. However, we also occupy the windiest location in Europe and we are surrounded by water, with waves and tides. In other words, there is an abundance of renewable energy that we can harness and become world leaders in the development of the science and technology to do so.

Ireland’s energy providers will need trained personnel in current and new technologies. There will be employment opportunities with companies involved in energy production from wind, wave, solar and biofuel sources as well as in energy storage. In the future, energy will be a much more important consideration in planning roads, infrastructure and buildings to minimise energy costs while maintaining and enhancing the quality of life. Planners and consultants will require a knowledge of the energy costs associated with the manufacture, transport, use and disposal of products. They will have to be knowledgeable in techniques, principles and practices for analysing the environmental and economic impacts of projects in energy usage and energy development. There will be energy challenges in designing the cities, towns and buildings of the future so energy auditors will be required. They will need the skills and knowledge to monitor energy usage within the industrial sector and introduce modifications for more efficient energy consumption. A variety of roles in energy trading companies are also anticipated, for example in asset management companies with an alternative investment focus on energy. There will also be a growing demand for energy researchers in Ireland’s move towards the knowledge economy. At the newly established Charles Parson’s Institute at the University of Limerick, research is already being conducted on a wide range of ground-breaking areas. These include energy sources such as wind, ocean, solar and geothermal, electronic devices for energy control, electrochemical energy storage and next generation biofuels.